*waves at all three people who actually read this site* hi guys.  Sorry I haven’t been around much, I’ve been working mostly days at the new company except Thursdays they put me on night shift.  Hopefully I’ll be on nights full-time soon, as that is where the money tends to be.  I apologize to anyone I’ve not been in touch with – with my NC phone offline and my regular cell costing me an arm and a leg per minute, I’ve not been really staying in touch and making phone calls and such like I should.  It’s taking longer to stabilize financially than I would like, but I’m stabilizing regardless.  I’ve got a metric buttload of messages in multiple places to try to get through before I go back to work tomorrow night.  And at some point I need to do laundry, clean my room, and shower, too.

Of course, this is when I must have client work coming at me left and right too, all of it filed under ‘maintenance,’ which is built in to their design contract.  That is to say not that it doesn’t pay, but it’s already been paid for, basically.

I’ve been a lot of things.  “Bored” has rarely been one of them.

Jammed for a while over at Jamie and Shawn’s again this past weekend, and had a great time doing it, and my many thanks to them for their hospitality.  Shawn and I don’t have a close divergence in material we know, but we’re also both perfectly competent musicians.  We worked up a short list of songs to work on, and I’ve been thinking I had my head up my ass when we made it.  If it’s going to be a working cover band, then we need to get some covers down that will get us work, rather than picking from songs we actually want to play.  I may even *gasp* have to consider doing ACDC covers.  Whatever, the bottom line is that a working band can earn as much as I’m earning right now, do it in a lot less time, and would be more in line with the things I want to do with my life anyway.  I was thinking artistically rather than practically the other night.

I’d REALLY love to hear what people like their bar bands to cover these days.  Even if you think it’s obvious, say something.  There’s plenty of stuff I want to do and I know shawn wants to do as well, and I’m sure people we bring in will have their own things too, but it would be cool if we had some idea of what songs to work on together so then in a couple of months when we’re looking for bass, another guitar, and vocals, we can say “here’s a list of stuff we’re working on.”  Right now, I just don’t have a concrete schedule, so I can’t set a regular practice schedule. 

I think one of the songs on the original list I’d like to keep is “Swingtown” by Steve Miller Band.  It’s complex enough to get a nice head nod from musicians, but popular and catchy enough for crowds to dig, and it’s pretty easy to learn.  And of course it’s fun to play, which really does matter.  Somehow, as much as I’d love to DO Master of Puppets live, I don’t think it would get over at the Wild Bull :P

Anyway, I don’t just want to poach other bands’ playlists or run through The Three Dozen Tunes Every Bar Band Must Know.  That doesn’t tell me what people WANT to hear.  Rock Band Bar Cover Tunes.  That’s what I need.  Please give me your suggestions here, or SOMEWHERE anyway, and we’ll see what there is to be seen.  Gin Blossoms?  Georgia Satellites?  Whatever, nothing is too cheesy or too obscure to suggest.

As for original music, I need to have my own kit for that.  Which is on ‘the list’ along with everything else, although in a much higher position.  There’s a beautiful set at the consignment shop on Portage Road that would be perfect, but they want a grand for it and it’ll be sold before I have a grand.  Guy says he gets them through pretty frequently though.  I just wonder if he understood I’m looking for a 7-piece kit when he said that.

I’ve got a bajillion ideas waiting to pour forth and take shape.  We’ll see how things go.